


Friendly

by brsfic



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:02:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24032455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brsfic/pseuds/brsfic
Summary: There’s been a thought at the back of his mind for years. More like a fantasy, if he’s honest with himself. But it was always just vague imagery with anonymity. And he was in control of it, he was dealing with it. Until he’d seen him. All of him. Seen him dripping wet and bare, fresh out of a river just below The Western Air Temple.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm back with my second fanfiction for Zukka. Really happy to contribute more to this pairing! Hopefully a lot of people will read and like it. This work will have multiple short chapters, because I'm also working on a few other ideas along with this. :3

There's been a thought at the back of his mind for years. A fantasy, if he's honest with himself. Floating around his empty mind, sudden and unexpected. Scenes playing in a daydream, imagination running wild. Inappropriate things that plagued his brain from a long time ago.

But he'd always been in control of it, could always deal with it. There were a lot more things that needed his immediate attention other than a thought unbecoming of a prince. He could easily channel his energy to think about something entirely different, focus his mind to think of something more important.

Like hunting down the Avatar.

And it had worked wonders for the past couple of years. Until it just doesn't anymore.

Destiny is a funny thing, his uncle said. And like all of the old man's wise saying, Zuko understood them too late. So much had changed. _He_ had changed, and for the better, he'd hope. 

Joining the Avatar and his friends meant more than just betraying his family and nation. It was about finding his destiny, abandoning the life someone forced on him. It was about finding himself. Finding what he truly wants in life.

Taking the first step was the hardest part. But being away from home and the people he knows, including his uncle, helps a lot to clear his mind and to be honest to himself. Zuko can finally understand why he'd never been at peace.

For the first time in his life, he feels _free_.

But his newfound freedom affects him like a rock thrown into a still pond. All his inhibitions become disrupted and _that_ thought ripples in his mind, creating a bigger wave as time passes by. And since hunting the Avatar is no longer his objective in life, distracting himself from _that_ thought becomes more and more difficult.

In a way, his freedom feels contradictory. He finally has all the freedom he never knew he wanted, but he still feels bound. Now that he's being completely honest with himself, he feels completely alone. He's surrounded by the Avatar and his friends, of course, and everyone's starting to accept him in their small group. But this is a different kind of loneliness.

He knows that he's free to be himself, but he still feels _limited_. He's been pondering over it since his encounter with the dragons. The dragons had shown him through the truth of firebending, expressed through the colorful fire vortex. Colors he never knew could possibly exist. Fire is often misunderstood because people express it the wrong way, but those colors express harmony and life.

Maybe he needs to express himself differently, honestly, so he can completely enjoy this freedom. He doesn't know how to do that, exactly. It's not that he's lying about who he is, and to be honest who he is or what he's feeling is not anyone's problem. At least not someone who doesn't really know him.

He just wants to say it, talk about it. An honest conversation about his life and what's happening in it. But Zuko can't have that when he's surrounded by kids and teenagers younger than himself. He needs a wiser, older figure. He needs his uncle here, so he can express it.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  


The Western Air Temple, for the lack of better word, is wondrous. Dozens of pagodas hanging upside down on the edge of a cliff aren't something you see even in the most unique places around the world. And Zuko has been around the world to see enough. None of it comes close to how stunning this place is. How they managed to build something like this in the first place is beyond Zuko's comprehension.

Now that he's here with a different goal and a clearer mind, Zuko finds himself marvelling at the simplest details he sees. The paintings in the walls, the carvings on the pillars and high metal windows. They serve as a good distraction from his ever wandering mind.

He keeps himself busy. Teaching Aang firebending from sunrise till noon, gathering firewood, searching for food, serving tea during dinner, and meditating at night before sleeping. Anything to keep his mind occupied. Though, _that_ thought sometimes appears in the most ridiculous moments.

Like right now.

"This is stupid. Did you even learn any technique from Master Piandao?" Zuko holds his right blade towards Sokka's neck.

Sokka grunts and swats the blade with his own space sword, before getting up from the ground and up to his feet. Sokka is nothing if not determined. Even when he first set foot on the South Pole, Sokka had challenged him bravely, despite obviously being outmatched. Well, it's still the case right now, especially when they're sparring with swords. Zuko might not be a firebending prodigy like his sister, but he's more than nifty with swords.

"I was there less than a week! Most of it was spent making a sword and rock gardening! So, no! I have to figure everything out myself, jerk!" Sokka is clearly irked at the question, but he readies his stance once again.

"I think that's enough for today, Sokka. It's getting dark and Katara's not going to like it if her brother's covered in bruises from getting knocked down," Zuko says, sheathing his dual swords.

"Ugh!" He rolls his eyes and mimics Zuko, sheathing his swords. "Fine," he chafes. "Fucking La! Why is it so hot anyways?" Sokka pulls his tunic out of his head.

Zuko freezes on the spot. His eyes bores into the sudden exposure of skin. Sokka's not as built as he is, but he's lean and perfectly toned. He watches as beads of sweat trickling down his smooth taupe complexion. The muscles in his chest flex with each movement of his hands.

"You coming or what?" Sokka's voice pulls him out of his daze.

"Let's go," he replies, following Sokka back to their campsite. His eyes fixed on Sokka's exposed back.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  


When he retreats to the solitary of his room, Zuko doesn't meditate. He goes to bed right away. But he can't sleep. He's not sure if it's the way his clothes clings to his sweaty skin or if it's because he just had dinner, or if it's just his routine preventing sleep to come. One thing for sure, his mind is filled with scenes from earlier this evening.

Apart from Aang, Sokka's the only other person Zuko spends his time with. Sure there's Haru, who's around his age, but the guy spends most of his days playing with rocks with Toph or scouring the temple. Katara's too scary to even be around with, while The Duke and Teo are basically kids like Aang and Toph. There's just nothing to talk about.

Sokka's probably the closest he has to be considered as a _friend_. He'd never really have friends before. Mai, and Ty Lee certainly didn't count, since they're Azula's friends, if it can even be called friendship at all. And despite Sokka's friendly nature, he's not sure if they're anywhere near friendship yet.

Zuko keeps thinking about it until sleep finally takes over. That night, he dreams of those toned muscles wrapped under a smooth dark skin. In his dream, however, he doesn't just stare. His fingers are eager to trace along the lines of his abdomen.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  


Toph decides that Aang needs to work on his earthbending. Something about seeing with his feet. Zuko didn't get any of that, but he assumed Toph knows what she's doing since she didn't have any trouble beating the shit out of him when he accidentally burned her feet.

Haru and Katara went with them, leaving him with the non-benders. Feeling awkward, the kids left to explore some more. He ended up having a made-up conversation with Appa, to avoid being near Sokka, who's still sleeping soundly in his sleeping bag.

He totally doesn't watch Sokka in his sleep because he's not a creep. Definitely not. Zuko focuses on petting Appa, because that seems to be what the Avatar's doing with his byson all the time.

"Look at you getting along with Appa," the voice startles him. He must've lost track of time, because Sokka's no longer sleeping.

He's right behind him, wearing a sleepy grin on his face. "Where's everyone?" He asks, yawning.

"Training with the Avatar," he replies quickly.

"So why are you here?" Sokka asks, stretching his back, and Zuko turns his gaze back to the furry beast in front of him, because he does not need any more distraction from Sokka.

"Toph says he needs to work on something about seeing with his feet," Zuko says.

"Then why is Katara and Haru going with them?" Sokka asks again.

Zuko's not really in the mood answering so many questions this early. "I don't know! Maybe you should ask them when you're back!" He glares at Sokka's direction.

Then a smirk pulls at the edge of the other man's mouth. "They ditched you, didn't they?"

"No they didn't! They're…"

"Not letting you come with the rest of them. Yeah, they totally ditched you, man," Sokka seems to find this amusing.

Now that Sokka put it that way, Zuko's getting irritated. He wants to punch that smirk out of his stupid face. He lets out a sigh instead of arguing, because who is he kidding. They ditched him.

Then Sokka comes closer and wraps an arm around Zuko's shoulder. "Aww don't be so down. You got Apps and Me! You know what both of us can do?"

There's a lump forming in his throat. He needs to clear his throat or swallow it before it chokes him. There's definitely no innuendo intended from Sokka's part, but _that_ dirty thought overrides his mind, anyway. He really needs to get a grip of himself.

"We can practice our _swordbending_!"

Thank Agni for that stupid word, because now he has something to think of other than lewd scenes. He tells Sokka how that word doesn't make any sense and as they argue, the images playing in his mind evaporated gradually.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  


The stupid _swordbending_ has the same outcome as it had yesterday, with Sokka getting his ass kicked repeatedly. Well, at least he finally has a proper grip on the sword handle unlike last time. Progress can be seen, but he's not sure he's going to be able to assist the warrior that well. With Sozin's comet nearing, his focus will solely be to teach the Avatar firebending.

"This is _not_ fair!" The so called warrior winces as he rubs on his butt. And honestly, what did he expect?

"Of course it's not fair, Sokka. You're a noob, and I'm practically a master at this point! Do you think you'll just miraculously defeat me in a duel?" Zuko shakes his head.

"Hurry guys! Sokka's getting his ass whooped again!" From the stairs, he can hear Toph's loud voice. The short girl appears and the rest are following behind her.

"Ugh!" Sokka groans at the remark. "That's enough for today," the Water Tribesman says to Zuko. "I'm going out to hunt for some meat. You want to join?"

Zuko sheaths his broadswords. "It's almost noon. The Avatar still needs to practice his firebending forms," he refuses the invitation.

"Well, then. I'm taking off," he says sheathing his space sword. "Hopefully there's a clean stream nearby to wash up," he mutters to himself, but they're close enough that Zuko can hear it.

And that sparks certain images to pop up in his head. Sokka clothes peeled off, slowly washing the sweat and dirt off his skin, slowly.

"So what are we going to learn today, Sifu Hotman?" Aang pops up in his periphery.

Zuko sighs. This is going to be a long day.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  


Aang's practice dragged longer than he'd expected but at least the sun's still high in the sky. He still has plenty of time to clean up before dusk. He's covered in two-days sweaty clothes. He feels sticky and overall uncomfortable. Not to mention the lingering damp stain in his loincloth that's been bugging him since early morning.

It appears that his dream last night was quite arousing. Zuko woke up in a soaked loincloth with a damp patch on his trousers around the crotch area. Wearing it around all morning felt really uncomfortable, especially when he's sparring Sokka, but he didn't really have a choice. It's not like he packed that many clothes when he fled the Fire Nation in his war balloon. He has to save up clothes.

But he really could use a bath. Sokka's right. It's still considered hot, despite being outside Fire Nation territory. Probably because of the humidity. Besides, it's probably best to wash his clothes today. There's still one tunic and one pair of trousers each.

So he excuses himself to the rest of the group and brings his laundry and a long rope with him. If he remembers correctly, there's a small river on the base of the cliff. He remembers it from his first time here, just a week after his banishment. Zuko doesn't have the mood to take the stairs down. It's time consuming and he's not sure he wants people to follow him. So he slides down the pagoda to the lowest level and takes the stairs from there. At least he's cut some time.

After half an hour trip down the stairs and another half an hour trekking the dense rainforest back past his war balloon. The river's still there! Thank Agni. Or _not_ .

Because there's Sokka. A very naked Sokka, standing on the shallow part of the river, wet and dripping. Zuko's heart skips a beat at the sight before pounding hard in his chest.

"Zuko!" Sokka calls him, making a frantic wave towards him and Zuko's eyes fall down to the dangling meat between his legs, swinging left and right from Sokka's movement.

"The water here is amazing! It's even fresher than the waterfall up at the temple!" He exclaims, stepping out of the river towards him. There's this weird thing happening in his stomach, like something's moving in there, like there's a moth or something.

"What? You can't swim?"

Zuko's eyes snap up to level with Sokka's blue orbs. He's grinning at Zuko and he can feel his cheeks getting warm.

"Zuko, are you okay? Your face is so red!" Sokka puts the back of his hand on Zuko's forehead, while being naked. "Hmm, it's not a fever. I think the heat is getting to you. Come on, the water's going to cool you down!" He drags Zuko by the elbow towards the stream.

"Uh… I, uh," Zuko pulls away from Sokka's hand, and stutters. "I need to wash my clothes, first," he tries, eyes burning holes at the clothes in his arms.

"Oh, okay, I'm going to swim some more, then," Sokka says, before running back to the river and _what was that?!_

He knew Sokka's used to walking around topless all the time, but he didn't expect him to be, well, _this_ comfortable running around completely naked in such an open space, when there's someone nearby, let alone Zuko, who just changed sides, barely a week ago.

And there's just no way he's going to bathe with Sokka in the vicinity! How did he find this place anyway? It's pretty secluded in the rainforest and not to mention quite far from the foot of the cliff. And wasn't he supposed to go hunt, anyway? What happened to that?

"Weren't you hunting, anyway?" He asks, eyes never leaving Sokka, who's swimming around without caring at all that Zuko's still around.

"Yeah. Found this perfect spot following my prey," he replies as he turns to float on his back, causing his crotch to emerge from the surface.

_The universe_ is trying to get him in trouble.

"Did you even catch anything?" He asks again, not really sure how to get rid of Sokka. And he really needs a bath right now, so he better figure out something.

Sokka pauses to look at Zuko. His expression turns smug. "You mean you didn't see that boar _on your right_?" He points to the tree next to Zuko and the firebender jumps when he sees the boar lying on the ground below the tree.

A dead boar with a swollen area on its forehead and a clean cut around its neck. The sight of it makes him grimace, what with all the blood oozing from the neck and the way it pools on the ground. _How the hell did he take down a wild boar the size of his own body?_ But that's not important.

Zuko, apparently, had been too caught up with Sokka's nakedness that he missed such a huge beast right in front of him.

"How are you going to get it back to the campsite? It looks _really heavy_ ," Zuko comments.

"Eh, no big deal. I can handle some wild boar. You should've seen the arctic beasts I used to hunt back at the South Pole.

"Great, cause there's no way I'm going to touch _that_ ," Zuko shudders just thinking about it.

"Chill, princess. I've got this covered," Sokka says with such conviction, Zuko can't wait to see him fail.

And then an idea pops up in his head.

"Shouldn't you get _this_ back to the campsite right away? I bet it'll take time to drag it up those stairs," Zuko says, still not moving from his spot.

Sokka stops swimming.

"You know what, you're right. And I should probably start a fire to roast it, too," he says, walking to the shore once again and Zuko looks away instantly, before the lower part of the warrior's body emerges from the water.

The firebender busies himself by taking his boots off and placing his dirty laundry on the rocky riverside, slowly, _very slowly_. When it's long enough, he sneaks a glance towards the warrior, finally in his trousers, thankfully. He's looking around for something. The firebender assumes he's probably trying to figure a way to carry his kill.

Zuko remembers the rope he'd brought. "Here," Zuko says, handing it.

Sokka's eyes go wide in excitement. "Well, this is a good rope! Just what I need!" He watches Sokka tie the beast with the rope, making sure the knots are tight.

"Later," he says before dragging it away. Damn, it looks heavy. And Sokka looks constipated from pulling it. Well, not his problem. Normally, he would at least offer to help, but he's here for a bath and there's no way he's risking Sokka staying longer near him when he washes up.

Zuko waits until the snapping sound of twigs and branches gets more distant, before working his hands to undo his belt and drop his trousers, before taking care of his rock hard erection, the image of Sokka in his head bringing him to his release.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm back with the second chapter! This turned out longer than I had intended. I hope many people will read this. There isn't that many Zukka fanfiction out there, so I'm working in between fanfiction to increase the number of works for this pairing. It's such a shame that there isn't that many author writing for Zukka compared to other popular pairing. Hopefully a lot more of authors will show up and join in our little tribe.
> 
> This is un-beta'd, therefore all mistakes are mine. And as always, happy reading!

He soaked his clothes with clean water, utilizing pressure of the water flow from a higher part of the river to rinse it from sweat and dirt. Zuko never did anything like this in his life, but even he knew that he would need detergent or some kind of soap to actually make it clean. But it's not like he had any, and the rest of the group probably wouldn't have it either. Life was simpler when he was floating on his small ship in the middle of the ocean with a small crew, or when he was roaming the Earth Kingdom, because at least he had someone to do this for him.

His uncle would probably say something along ' _ It's good to do chores servants usually do for you. You'll learn to appreciate them more if you know what they have to deal _ '. Well, he never said that, but Zuko knew it was accurate. And it wasn't really a difficult task, anyway. Problem is, his mind continued to be filled with thoughts about Sokka. Dirty thoughts about Sokka.

By the time Zuko finished washing laundry, his erection had returned. He wanted to take care of it once again, but whatever dignity he had left in him prevented him. He dipped himself in the deepest part of the river and let the water cool him down. He didn't let the thoughts return again and instead focused his mind on something to keep his boner down. Something gloomy and depressing.

Like Mai.

More specifically, how he'd fucked their relationship up really badly. Zuko  _ did _ leave her a letter on the Day of The Black Sun. He didn't have the guts to tell her face to face. He didn't have balls to be completely honest with her. He felt bad about it. But it's probably better for her if she didn't know the truth.

What do you know? It  _ did _ work wonders to stave his lust off, instantly. And it only made him feel more guilty towards Mai. Spirits, he's the absolute  _ worst _ . He squatted lower to sink his entire body in the water, only coming up when he couldn't fight the urge to breathe.

  
  
  
  
  


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The firebender arrived at the campsite long after the sun had set. Zuko really took his time in the river. Not only did he need to do laundry and clean himself, but also to clean his mind. That, and he had to walk extra slow, to avoid sweating. There were a lot of stairs to take, after all.

Everyone has gathered around the fire he assumed Sokka set up earlier. A huge roasted boar hanging on a wooden stick impaling it from end to end. Sokka is carefully turning the wood over, with the rest of the group watching intently. The Duke literally drools over it. He'd caught the smell of roasted boar halfway up the cliff, and found himself anticipating dinner. Hopefully it will taste as good as it smells.

Toph is the first one to notice him. "Zuko's here!" She exclaims.

Aang, who's sitting slightly further from the fire, looks up from Momo. Right. The Avatar's a vegetarian. "Where have you been?" The airbender asks.

"Down the cliff, I figured it's the perfect time to wash my clothes and bathe," Zuko says, walking closer to the campfire.

"Why did you take so long, though? You didn't even have that many clothes to wash," the little monk asks again

"Well-" Zuko is just about to say that he was taking his time enjoying the scenery when a mischievous voice comes from the campfire.

"He's got to take care of  _ something _ , Aang," the voice says.

Zuko turns to see Sokka grinning widely while casually tending to their dinner. From the other side of the circle, Zuko hears someone snort. When he turns his gaze towards the source, Haru's biting his lower lip to fight back a smile. Zuko feels the warmth returning to his face and creeps down to his neck.  _ They know _ .

_ Did Sokka see him? _ No, that would be impossible. He had made sure that the warrior was far enough before even undoing his belt. Maybe just figured it out on himself?  _ Still _ , it's embarrassing.

"What did you need to take care of? Is it done? Do you need a hand?" The Avatar asks so innocently.

_ A hand- _

Zuko's jaw drops at the question. Aang might have the most innocent mind when he voiced out his question, but Zuko's dirty mind decides to pop dozens of indecent scenes involving an underage kid and he wishes he has an ability to conjure an explosion so he can combust his own brain. He really doesn't know what he should answer that with.

Sokka and Haru have the audacity to laugh at the question, drawing everyone's attention. He feels his face heating up. From the corner of his eyes, Katara is visibly rolling her eyes.  _ Was that directed to him or to Sokka's antique? _ Zuko wants to scream for help. Maybe he can ask Toph to bend the earth beneath him to swallow him whole. That would be so helpful.

Or maybe he should just go to his room and hide. Yeah, that seems to be practical. Zuko walks past a confused Aang and the rest of the group, who are circling the campfire. He makes quick long strides to his room inside the pagoda, where he will be alone and away from everyone.  _ Dear, Agni! _ That was mortifying!

Zuko quickly puts his clothes one by one on the window frame. He'd managed to half-dried them by blowing some hot air back at the riverside. One of the perks of being trained by Dragon of The West is to learn how to breathe fire and regulate temperature around him. Still, he hopes the weather will be nice tomorrow. Proper sunlight will help dry his clothes completely by noon.

_ Should he sleep? _ Zuko's pretty tired from all those walks, anyway. He can turn in early for tonight. After all, he doesn't really feel like going back to the campfire. It was just a harmless question, but the way the teenagers reacted to the implicit meaning behind it was too embarrassing. The kids probably didn't get it, and that makes it worse. Besides, having to be in the vicinity of two teenagers who figured out that he was…  _ No, he's definitely not going back out there. _

But he's so hungry and the smell of roasted meat has even filled his room and it's  _ really _ tempting.  _ Should he just go out and play it cool? Should he just meditate here or- _

"Dude, come on out. Dinner's ready!"

Zuko jumps and turns around to find Sokka leaning on the doorframe, casually munching on what looks like a very tasty-looking pork knuckle. Zuko's eyes stare at the food the other boy's holding. He swallows before Sokka catches him drooling.

"I'm not hungry," Zuko says.

Damn it, keeping face sucks! And right after that, his stomach decides to betray him, growling at the sight of that juicy meat on Sokka's clutch.

The water tribesman raises a brow. "Yeah, right. Let's just pretend that  _ that _ was Appa's stomach growling."

"You guys go ahead and enjoy. I'm going to meditate," Zuko says and he can feel his intestines moving in protest.

Sokka blinks at him, confused. "Help me out, Zuko. I'm trying to be nice here. Or do you prefer me to act murderous like Katara?"

Zuko considers answering that, but thought better to just ignore it. He sits down next to his wooden bed, his back facing Sokka. He straightens his back and begins to breathe in and out slowly 

"What's your prob-, wait! Don't tell me you're mad because of what I said earlier!"

Zuko flinches at that.

"Dude, really? It's just a joke. Nobody even gets it! Well, Haru maybe, but-"

"Ugh, I'm trying to meditate here!" Zuko raises his voice, closing his eyes, trying to ignore Sokka and failing.

"I mean it's really not that big of a deal. So what if you jerk off," Sokka points it out and Zuko's face burns hot instantly.

"We all do it. I mean I do it, too!" Zuko can't believe his ears.

This is worse than when his uncle was pretending to be paralyzed so that he could hug Jun. He regrets not asking Toph to earthbend him into the ground. When he turns around, Sokka looks pretty much unbothered by the conversation.

"And I'm pretty sure Haru does it, too. I mean I don't know for sure, but there's no way he never did it," Sokka casually continues his ramble and Zuko glares at him to make him shut up.

Sokka shrugs. "What? I'm just saying it's not a big deal. We all do it. Well, maybe not Aang since he's a monk and all th-"

"Will you  _ shut up _ already?"

Sokka grins evilly. "Only if you join us for dinner."

"Fine! Just- I don't want to hear any word about-"

"So you  _ were _ jerking off, huh?"

_ Ugh _ . Zuko grunts angrily. Sokka just laughs his ass off. Zuko can't stand this anymore. He stomps his way out of the room, but Sokka quickly catches up to him and slings an arm around Zuko, slowing him down.

"Oh boy. Teasing you is my new hobby! You make it  _ so easy _ !" Sokka says, rubbing a tear from the corner of his eyes.

Zuko pushes that arm off his shoulder.

  
  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I have to say Sokka. This is so much better than whatever Katara's been feeding us," Toph says, rubbing on her full stomach.

Their dinner certainly was great. He had only eaten Katara's food for a few days and there were only two dishes served alternatingly, the sea prune stew and some kind of porridge. He didn't complain. Tastes better than his uncle's cooking and obviously beats hunger at any given day.

"Hey! You weren't complaining before!" Katara glares at Toph.

Toph responds with a barf so loud it can even match Appa's growl. The bison visibly cranes its head to Toph's direction. It makes everyone laugh. Even Katara's holding back the urge to smile, probably because Toph just said something offensive. Zuko doesn't laugh along. He just gapes at Toph's unbothered expression. She even wears a smug smile as she picks her nose with her pinky. Doesn't she come from a noble house in the Earth Kingdom? Zuko can imagine the horror on her parents' face if she does that in front of a guest.

"But it really tastes good Sokka," she turns to Sokka with a more gentler voice. "I don't know you can hunt anything other than an arctic hen," she says teasingly.

"Katara I went on numerous hunting trips with Dad. I literally killed a giant tundra elk before! You ate more than three portions of it when we're done roasting it!" Sokka's clearly triggered.

"Well, pardon me for doubting. You were literally just Toph's size back then and Dad and three other adults were carrying the kill. Do you really think I would just believe  _ you were the one killing the prey _ ?"

"You gotta give me a little more credit, Katara. And Toph literally is the strongest of all of us here," Sokka points out.

"Sokka, did I ever mention that you're my favorite out of you two Water Tribe siblings?" Toph chimes.

"What about me? I'm the Avatar? Shouldn't I be the strongest out of all of us?"

Everyone ignores the airbender.

Sokka continues. "All I'm saying is that I'm good at hunting. You guys just never gave me the chance to prove it. But starting from now, you wouldn't have to worry about food anymore. Being the oldest and most capable man in our group, it's my job to provide for all of you," he says proudly.

Zuko can't help the warm feeling that courses through his body. The blush on his face would probably be visible if it's just slightly brighter out here. The thought of Sokka providing for them, for him, sounds ridiculous, because he's not only older than him, but also the one coming from royalty, banished or not. But he's actually palpitating.  _ Damn it _ !

"But Zuko's older than you," Aang corrects him.

"Wait a minute! I thought Katara's the older sibling?" Zuko thinks Toph's just playing but she  _ genuinely _ looks confused.

Katara rolls her eyes. "Look, Sokka. I'm sorry I ever doubted your superior hunting skill-" She looks so done with everyone.

"Apology accepted," Sokka comments.

"- but I don't really think you have to go out hunting everyday. I mean look at the wild boar. There's still leftovers. Maybe next time tell us if you decide to go out hunting again? We should at least… you know… respect Aang and the temple? The monks that lived here were vegetarian, I don't really think roasting a killed animal is… acceptable?" Katara glances at Aang, giving him an apologetic look.

Everyone turns to look at Aang. "Thank you for your considerate thoughts, Katara. But I don't think it's that big of a deal, especially in times like now. I just appreciate the fact that Sokka didn't kill the animal up here," Aang says in the exact moment a loud slapping sound comes from Sokka.

When Zuko casts his sight upon the warrior, his palm is brushing the skin of his arm, muttering "Stupid mosquitoes."

"What?" Sokka raises a brow when he notices that all eyes are on him, giving him a collective unamused stare.

"Right," Aang begins. By the way, did I tell you that no monks lived here in the past? Only nuns and female acolytes resided here. This is one of the two temples, along with the Eastern Air Temple that housed specifically female Air Nomads. The monks and the rest of male acolytes lived on The Northern and Southern Air Temples."

The prince leans forward to give more attention to The Avatar's story. It's something he'd never heard of. The only history he'd learned during his time as a student was the one his great-grandfather had embedded in the Fire Nation curriculum. The one that says Air Nomads has armies. Stupid as it was, he'd believed it until his uncle told him it wasn't like that.

This is something different. This is real information coming from a legitimate source. He's more than interested to hear more about the temples. He'd visited all of them in search of The Avatar. Even his uncle with all of his wisdom and knowledge wouldn't know the history as extensive as the air nomad in front of him.

"Quick question," Toph raises her hand eagerly, and the attention shifts to her. "So if the males are scattered at the North and South, while the females are at the Eastern and Western hemisphere of the globe, how or  _ where _ do air nomad babies come from?"

And like a snap of his fingers, Zuko's interest vanished. The firebender watches as Sokka choke on another portion of meat he was having. Katara looks appalled at the mention of babies and Aang has turned red as tomatoes. Sokka's quick to recover and, bless his warrior soul, decides it's the perfect time to intercept. "Not that we're all not curious, but perhaps that's a story for another time? Like  _ in 10 years _ another time? Besides, we should really catch some sleep."

Thank  _ the universe _ ! If Aang actually tries to answer Toph's question, Zuko's not going to be able to sleep for another week. Not that he's not curious, but there are underage kids here. The Duke is like what  _ six _ ,  _ eight _ ? And Toph shouldn't even come up with that question in the first place. What were his parents teaching her?

"I think we should all sleep inside the pagoda. The smokes are too fragrant for us to sleep," Haru suggests.

"Good idea." Aang says, and everyone walks toward the pagoda.

Zuko follows them from behind, but then stops when he sees Sokka sitting by the fire, poking at the charcoal, reviving the embers that had gone dormant. "You're not coming?"

Sokka looks up and shakes his head. "It's too early to sleep. I'll keep the fire up for a bit longer to preserve the leftover meat. That way, Appa and Momo can have some company until they're asleep."

"I didn't know you were so fond of the Avatar's pets," Zuko sounds void of emotions. He should work on that before someone mistakes his normal voice as disinterest.

Sokka chuckles. "Well, believe it or not, when I first saw Momo, I'd planned on eating the poor thing."

_ Well _ , considering Sokka's persistent talks about meat, it wasn't that surprising. "But not anymore?"

"Not anymore. We're friends now." Sokka says and the lemur flies towards him and licks at his ear. "Isn't that right, Momo?" Zuko watches as Sokka laughs and coos at Moko, calling it cute and talks like a baby.

Zuko knows the warrior was talking about Momo when he said  _ 'we're friends now _ '. He wonders if he's already considered as a friend. And if he is, will Sokka be as comfortable with him as he does with Momo? Will he laugh at his antique, coo at him, call him cute, or talk baby to him too?

He's pulled out of his thoughts when Sokka asks him again. "What about you? Not going to sleep yet?"

"I, uh, usually meditate first before going to sleep," Zuko looks away. He didn't even notice that he'd been staring at Sokka and the lemur. "Helps me calm my mind. That way I can sleep," Zuko doesn't know why he bothered explaining himself to Sokka. It's not like he would care about his nocturnal routine and this is a private business.

"In that case," Sokka pats at the empty space beside him by the campfire. Zuko looks at Sokka's hand on the stone floor right next to him and back at Sokka, who's beaming at him. As if on some kind of spell, he walks to the campfire and sits himself next to Sokka.

As soon as he plops down next to Sokka, the warrior quickly tends to the fire. Zuko remembers something about keeping the fire up and preserving the meat. He glances at Sokka's profile and feels his heart begin to pound inside his ribcage. Suddenly there's a lump on his throat and he gulps down instinctively.

"So… You said something about preserving the meat?" Zuko begins, hoping to dissipate the silence and distract himself. He has to remind himself that staring is rude.

"Uh, yeah," Sokka says gleefully and turns to him. His face shines with his usual joyful expression. "This is one of the methods I picked up from the tribe during the Winter Solstice Festival years ago. The tribe gathered a lot of kill and the fresh ones were kept in a freezing tundra, while the leftovers were preserved like this. It's almost identical to preservation by smoke, only with less smoke. We have to maintain  _ very _ small fire, in order to achieve that tender yet juicy consistency. You don't want it to end up like a seal-jerky," Sokka explains.

"Uh, what's a seal jerky?"

" _ What's a seal- _ oh right. It's a Water Tribe delicacy. Quite tasty for a snack. It's basically a thin slice of seal meat slowly cooked in low heat and a lot of smoke. Maybe I can get it from the South Pole for you if we manage to win the war," Sokka says.

Zuko doesn't know what aches his heart the most from that last sentence. The fact that Sokka's considering to retrieve such delicacy from his home just for him, the implication behind it that might suggest they're already on friendly terms, the word  _ we _ , or that it might not happen at all because anything could happen during this war. Zuko decides that everything actually crushes his heart equally.

Sokka seems to notice his sudden grim expression and quickly places a hand on top of his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry about it. We'll figure a way out to win this war." Sokka tries to offer reassurance, but Zuko knows,  _ they both know _ , that there's no guarantee everyone's going to see the end of it unscathed.

"In the meantime, we have to keep turning the charcoal, but not too often. We'll have to keep the fire alive just barely." Sokka stirs the conversation back to the campfire.

"Do you want me to try firebending it?" Zuko offers.

Sokka raises one doubtful eyebrow. "Wouldn't it, like, require you to move around and concentrate and stuff?"

"Well, if it's just to control the size and the temperature of the fire, I can technically do it while I'm breathing. Just like when I'm meditating, or like the fire in The Fire Lord's throne room."

"Fire? What fire? Last time I was there there was only a giant room with a bunch of pillars and an empty throne," Sokka squints his eyes.

Zuko recalls it was during the eclipse. "That's because my father wasn't in the throne room. He was in his bunker. There would've been fire from one end to the other, separating the throne from the rest of the room," Zuko explains.

Sokka doesn't blink. "Wouldn't having that much fire around you feel hot? Fire Nation, man. Why does everything have to be hot or spicy?"

"I suppose geography plays an important role on our climate and agriculture-,"

"That was a rhetorical question." Sokka cuts him off quickly. "Come on, show me that firebending technique," he demands.

"Look at the fire," Zuko instructs and Sokka complies.

The firebender closes his eyes and breathes in and out a couple of times. The fire grows as he inhales and weakens as he exhales. He opens his eyes and diminishes the fire until it's barely alive, just as Sokka described earlier.

" _ Huh _ . Neat," he gives an approving nod.

Zuko smiles. They watch the fire in a comforting silence. He likes this. Whatever definition  _ this _ includes. Perhaps he favors the silence, perhaps it's the night breeze and the warm campfire, perhaps it's the starry night, or perhaps it's just Sokka beside him.

It's peaceful. Like meditation. He can sleep better if all night is as peaceful as this one.

"Sorry about earlier," Sokka's voice breaks the silence.

"Hmm?" Zuko's mind is too slow to process it. Perhaps sleepiness has come to settle.

"I didn't mean to tease you about… you know…" Sokka trails off and looks at him. Sokka must have read the clueless look.

"With Aang? When I said you need to take care of something? And then again in your room, about the  _ jerking off _ thing…"

_ Shit _ . Not  _ this _ again. He should have dismissed Sokka as soon as he opened his mouth. Now that the word 'jerking-off' is mentioned once again, his mind draws a blank. He should say something before-

"Like I said, it's natural. And it's a perfect spot. It is secluded, surrounded by beautiful scenery, has a direct source of freshwater to clean up, not to mention is an  _ open space _ ."

Zuko can feel his cheeks heating up. Sokka really talks as if this is a conversation about the weather. And he's not bothered even one bit by this and just calmly watches the fire. Zuko is anything but calm. His pulse picks its pace up and he can feel the lust building up. He  _ really _ needs to say something before-

" _ Damn _ . Should've bust one out this afternoon." He says it like it was something obvious that he should've done.

Um,  _ what _ ?

"You know what, maybe tomorrow," Sokka continues, eyes still focused on the fire.

He can't be serious, right. Did he just blurt out his plan to…

Sokka's face contorts into a frown before he turns to Zuko, who has been staring at him. "Zuko, the fire…"

"Zuko,  _ the fire _ ," Sokka waves a hand in front of the firebender's face.

When that didn't work, he clasps the prince's shoulder and shakes him a little. "Zuko!"

"-what?"

Sokka frowns at him. " _ The fire _ . It's too big. The meat's going to get burnt."

The warrior tilts his head towards the fire and  _ dear Agni _ , he'd lost his cool. The fire reaches to the wild boar's height.  _ Fuck _ . He quickly bends the fire with his hands and reduces it to a tame flickering flame.

"Sorry," Zuko apologizes.

"What was that all about?" Sokka queried.

"I just… got distracted," he replies simply, hoping the topic will be dropped.

"Yeah, no kidding. Are you okay? Your face is all red," Sokka places the back of his palm on Zuko's forehead. This is the second time he'd done this and he can feel his face get even warmer.

"Not a fever," Sokka decides. "Are you blushing? What? Was talking about jerking off uncomfortable for you?"

" _ You _ were talking about  _ that _ ." Zuko emphasizes. "And yes, it's uncomfortable," Zuko adds before he looks away.

"What, did it get you hot and bothered?"

It was a joke. A tease. But Zuko flinches anyway. Sokka hits right on the mark. Oh, what he would do for the Water Tribe boy to shut up and leave him be.

"It did." He hears Sokka mutter instead.

"Can we talk about something else?" Zuko pleads, still looking anywhere but Sokka.

"Why does it bother you so much talking about this? My dad talks about it all the time with his friends. Guys do it all the time." Why did he feel the need to bring his father into this conversation? And why is he telling that so confidently? And what kind of logic was that? Does Sokka mean they're friends? Does being friends automatically mean you converse about this stuff? For the love of Agni, they just get acquainted!

"Because we just met?"

Sokka blinks at that before glaring at him in disbelief. "We've met each other from back at the South Pole when you destroyed my village," he sounds offended.

"I meant  _ on good terms _ ." Zuko turns to Sokka. "It's not even a week after I joined you. I think it's pretty reasonable for me to be uncomfortable talking about it."

Sokka reels it in for a few seconds before coming up with the most ridiculous response ever. "So you rather talk to your uncle about stuff like this?"

"What?! No! I'm not uncomfortable with that either! I'm not uncomfortable talking about that kind of stuff with anyone!" Zuko grunts in frustration.

"Alright. Sorry. I thought since you're older than the rest of us you wouldn't mind talking about more mature stuff. I didn't know you're  _ that _ bothered. I'll try not to talk to you about this stuff."

"And talking about stuff like this doesn't bother you at all?"

"Not really. I used to follow my dad everywhere, especially on hunting trips with the tribesmen, and the stuff they're saying weren't filtered at all times. Maybe it's just the way it is in the South Pole. The tribesmen talk about it all the time. So I thought it was just a common topic for conversation between adults," Sokka says.

Well, that right there is the difference between Sokka's tribe and the royal family. They don't really have the freedom to speak as they wish. Remember that one time Zuko tried to voice his mind? He still has a very angry looking memento covering half his face.

There's a lot he wants to comment on that sentence, but he decides to just focus on the safer topic. "You're just a teenager," he says with a sigh.

"Well, unfortunately my teenage mind is operating like that of an adult. And I'm not just talking about the brilliant plans I come up with. My mind is filled with a lot of weird thoughts."

_ Well, how about that? _

"I react weirdly to the simplest thing, like words or phrases. I can't control where my mind goes. Maybe it's just me."

That's literally what's happening to him. Day and night, his mind has been plagued by thoughts,  _ dirty thoughts _ . And he can't control it. Just like Sokka, he also reacts weirdly to certain words or… images. Zuko sighs.

_ No. It's not just you, Sokka. _ He wants to say that.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You were saying?"

"Saying what…" That came out more like a question.

Sokka sighs. "What do you mean  _ it's not just me _ ?"

_ Fuck _ . Did he really say that out loud?

"Uh... Um…" Zuko can't find his words. The awkward silence drags longer than he had intended to be. What is happening to his brain? The dirty thoughts had rendered his brain rather useless. This really should not go on any longer.

"That's alright if you don't want to talk."

_ Thank the universe! _ Sokka had given him the way out. He can finally release the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. He can't believe he just admitted that he'd experienced Sokka's problems. It wasn't supposed to be said out loud.

"You probably don't grow up in the same culture I grew up in. I understand… No I mean I don't completely understand your thoughts since I don't really experience growing up in the Fire Nation in the first place, but I get there are reasons you don't want to talk about it," Sokka says.

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it…"

Zuko admits before he can even process what has left his mouth. Realization hits him like the strike of a lightning. Sudden and terrifying. He brings his face to his palms and let it rest there for a while. What is wrong with him? What was he thinking? No, he wasn't thinking! That's the problem. He had let his emotion take control of him.

The firebender rubs his face and turns to Sokka. He doesn't know why he turns to him or what he hopes to gain from glancing at the other boy, but he meets Sokka's blue orbs, slightly purple now, affected by the light coming from the fire. The warrior had been watching him silently.

Waiting.  _ He's waiting for me to say something _ .

Zuko's lips twitch. Does he really want to talk about it. Yes. Absolutely. Has been for a while. But does he really want to talk about it to Sokka? It hadn't been even a week since Sokka didn't treat him like the enemy. But Sokka had encouraged him earlier. He said guys talk about this all the time. But Zuko knows what he really wants to talk about and it's more than just what Sokka had implied on his statement earlier.

But Sokka also implied that they're friends, right? They had to be friends at this point. Then, maybe Sokka's right after all. Maybe he can talk about this thing with a friend, with Sokka. Friends do talk about intimate stuff. The crews on his ship, even his uncle after a couple of drinks that wasn't tea, had talked about dirty stuff. Zuko had listened a few times when they gathered around at night over alcohol.

Of course, if Zuko's truly honest, the reason he never joined wasn't because he can't talk about dirty stuff with any of them. It's about him. It's different.  _ He's different _ . His uncle, the crews, they were all talking about girls. They had shared thoughts about girls. His thoughts weren't about girls. Hasn't been for a long time. He couldn't possibly join and then say "Hi, how are you? There's this boy I've been thinking about for a while, what do you think I should do?"

No, he couldn't. And he can't! There's just no way he would let people have the chance to mock him again. He'd survived the humiliation of brandishing a permanent scar from his own father, he'd survived the hurt of his legacy, his birthright taken away from him by getting banished, and he'd survive the sneer and mock his own people thrown his way for being such a disgrace to the Fire Nation. But he won't survive one more blow to his fragile heart.  _ Spirits _ , the insults people will throw at his face!

The only logical thing is to keep his preference to himself. It's the safe bet. To keep his filthy mind to himself and lock his feelings deep within. Hide it from the Sun. But then he will never be truly free, will he? He'll never live as himself.

His heart aches inside of him at the thought. This freedom he'd never even dare to dream, even in his clutch, he can't feel what it's like. He feels the tightness in his chest. If he blocks his feelings any longer, the dam will collapse.

He wants to shout it out from the top of his lungs. He wants to tell someone. Anyone. He can't keep this to himself. He wants to let everyone know! No! Not everyone! Maybe someone? At least one person. He needs at least one person to know who he is. Who he truly is. But who?

"Hey, are you alright? You look pale. Do you want me to help you go to your room,"

"I- I'm okay. There's just a lot on my mind. It has bothered me for quite a while…"

"Oh. Okay. Do you want to talk about it? Sorry, I don't know what to offer. It seems like you want to share your problem with me, but it also seems like you feel really troubled because you don't have anyone to share it with," Sokka gets it. Of course he gets it. He's the brain of the group.

He looks at Sokka again. This is someone who isn't bothered conversing about inappropriate things, who's very confident sharing about his family and tribe about Zuko who was his enemy just a week ago, who offered to listen to his silent call for help.

But it won't be right, telling Sokka. Zuko ought to know better. It was not wise to tell this to Sokka. He's the very cause of the turmoil inside of him in the first place. They just got closer. He wouldn't dare to risk Sokka's company just so he can express himself to a willing ear.

"I don't think it's a good idea to talk about my problem. It's probably something you won't want to hear, anyway," Zuko says to Sokka.

"Oh. You can talk to Aang, tomorrow. He's wiser than all of us combined together. I think you'll be more comfortable with him," Sokka says and Zuko wants to punch himself, because-

"No, no, no. It's not like that. I don't want to share this with The Avatar. Oh spirits." He sighs before continuing again. "I want to share this with you, but I… You won't like it. You'll hate me..."

"Did you do something to me or Katara?"

"No," Zuko shakes his head.

"Does this involve the Southern Water Tribe or the Northern Water Tribe?"

Zuko shakes his head again. "No."

"Then why will I hate you? You literally destroyed my watchtower, almost got my grandmother hurt, chased us around the globe, sent Combustion Man to assassinate us, and we've put those  _ behind us _ . You're with us now. And trust me, me hating you was the least of your issue. You kinda grow on me."

Zuko's heart skips a beat at that.

"Besides," he continues. "I need a sparring partner to improve my swordbending."

Zuko snorts at that. There it is. Sokka makes him laugh even in the worst kinda mood. Maybe he can tell Sokka. He said that he won't hate him, right.

"I… me too…," Zuko starts and feels Sokka's gaze upon him.

"The weird things happening inside your head. I have that as well. But it's not the same, it's different."

"Okay…" Sokka says when the silence stretches. "I'm sure people have different things that get them excited, so it's really not that confusing."

"Believe me, it's not that simple," Zuko says and he can see the confused look on Sokka's face.

"You know there's no way I can be of help if you're keeping things vague, right?"

And that's true.

"I like boys," his voice was faint, but audible nonetheless.

There. He said it. It's finally out in the world. There's at least one person in the entire universe other than him that knows. He waits for the other shoe to drop. It doesn't. When he braves himself to look at the warrior, he's faced with a confused look. He raises an eyebrow, waiting for  _ any _ response.

"I don't understand wh-"

_ Ugh _ . Zuko groaned. "Of course you don't understand."

"No, Zuko. You're mi-"

"I can't believe how stupid I am," he runs his hands from his forehead to brush his bangs upwards and then backwards.

"Zuko-"

"This is pointless. What on earth was I thinking?!"

"Zuko!" That got him the attention he wanted.

Sokka sighs. "What I'm trying to say is… I don't understand  _ why you're so stressed out about this _ ."

"I'm sorry at what part was I unclear? I've been distracted all week long!  _ Because of a boy _ ! It's not normal!!"

"Why wouldn't it be normal?"

Zuko doesn't answer that. Just stares dumbfoundedly at Sokka's blue eyes. It wasn't a joke. He can see it in his eyes. Sokka's serious. He really doesn't get why it's not normal.

"I mean, I never pegged you for the type to like a guy, but it's not like it's that big of a deal. Why were you so troubled by this?"

"Because you weren't supposed to feel that way for a guy!"

Why is he even explaining this to Sokka? It's not that hard to grasp. And Sokka is the brain of the group. And they're not talking about war strategies here. It doesn't require that much knowledge.

"Ooh." Sokka finally seems to realize.

" _ Oh! _ I see! This is something uncommon in the Fire Nation, isn't it?"

The question baffles him. Isn't that obvious? And isn't that kind of thing uncommon everywhere in general? Surely there's a reason it's illegal.

"It's not just uncommon, it's  _ forbidden _ ."

Sokka deadpans at him. "What do you mean it's forbidden? Some of my tribesmen enjoy the company of men. Even when I visited the North Pole, they're pretty much cool with it. And on our journey, we stumbled upon an Earth Kingdom family who has two dads without a mom. Why is it forbidden in the Fire Nation?"

So it's not forbidden outside Fire Nation? Then, why was it banned in Fire Nation?  _ What was the reason? _

"I… I don't know. I learned about it in our history class but never bothered thinking about it. Guess, I haven't figured myself out at the time. In the beginning of war, my great-grandfather made it illegal, and as the Fire Lord, his words aren't just revered. It's as divine as Agni's. He was the law."

"So for no reason at all, your great-grandfather, the jerk he was, not only started the war and air nomad genocide, but also  _ condemn _ people engaging in same-gender sex?"

Well, not just the sex. People are even banned to be that way. But Zuko just nods, not trusting himself not to break down if he had to explain it further.

"Wow. I mean you were kind of a jerk, no offense, but he's on a whole different level."

"So you're… not… you don't think I'm… a freak?"

"What? No! Of course not! Whatever gets your rocks off," Sokka says nonchalantly. It's very casual. Very civil. No malice or disgust.

And it's like the weight on his shoulders was lifted and he can finally breathe free. Zuko heaved a long sigh. He feels more than just great. He feels  _ liberated _ . Sokka chuckles from beside him. Zuko frowns at him.

"See? You already look better. Less tense. Talking about it makes you feel better. Did I tell you that I once helped Aang with his insomnia by doing a talk therapy? Didn't really work, but I know he felt a lot better having someone else know his trouble," Sokka beams at him.

The prince mimics the smile. "Guess you're right. It does feel great to finally let that out."

"See? Told you. Guys talk about  _ these things _ all the time. Even down to the juiciest, dirtiest detail," Sokka says wiggling his eyes again.

Zuko blushes and just shakes his head. Sokka leaves him be. They stare at the embers ever so small, Zuko wonders if he should firebend it a bit, but the crackling sound is still there, and Sokka doesn't even bother to tend the charcoal, so he supposes it's fine. He lets himself relax and drown in the silence.

He'd always thought his uncle would be the first person to know about this. If there's one person he trusts will still accept him for who he is, it's probably his uncle. And he'd intended to keep it to just Iroh, if he even decides to tell him one day. But Sokka's here, next to him. He'd let someone else in on his secret, someone from the Water Tribe, his enemy just not long ago. He should feel worried and anxious, but when he checks within, there's only peace.

Maybe this is the best course to take. To let someone his age know, because being teenagers they have a lot more in common. Talking about this stuff with his uncle is going to be more than just awkward. Wise as he is, Iroh still is a parental figure in his life, and he's pretty sure even Sokka wouldn't want to discuss something like this with his father.

But he still feels he needs to tell him. He wants to tell him. His uncle was the only one that's always on his side, and he wants him to know who he truly is. Hopefully one day. Soon.

"So… was it Haru?"

"Hmm?"

The prince's attention shifts from the fire to Sokka once again. He didn't really catch what Sokka had said, too deep in his daze. He wasn't sure but it sounds like something about Haru. 

"You said you've been distracted the whole week because of  _ a boy _ ," Sokka wiggles his eyebrows. "Was it Haru?" He gives a knowing smile.

_ For the love of Agni! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for progress! Do tell me what you guys think of this chapter. Constructive criticism will always be welcome. 😁
> 
> Chat me up about Zukka on [My Tumblr](https://zukkalibrary.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> That's the first chapter for this work. There will probably be about 3-4 chapters at max. Just to buy me some time for the next work I'm currently making. Do tell me what you guys are thinking! :) Also, I'm starting a new blog dedicated for Zukka fanfiction, probably will post my work there, maybe make some recommendation of stuff I read as well.
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://zukkalibrary.tumblr.com)


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